Here's the scene:
'96 VDP + old guy with tired eyes + Oregon rain + winter-time + night-Time ​​​​​​= "YIKES! Did I just back over my dog?!"

No, I didn't (not even close, since I don't have a dog)

But, you get the idea.

So, I bought these

killer LED headlights off of Amazon

killer LED headlights off of Amazon

. The beam is super rectangular which makes these not blind others but work fantastic.
The marketers claim 60W, but user tests (see the Amazon comments) find them drawing about 27W

QUESTION: (with preamble)
I wired one up just fine and it is ROCKIN'!!
I simply broke the glass off an old reverse light bulb, soldered in the connections (black to ground on the base body, red to the exosed filament supports), and potted it with hot melt.

But, when wiring up the second, I blew both the 5A fuse in the RH under-bonnet fuse box, as well as the 10A in the LH rear footpanel fuse box (that controls all sorts of lighting stuff, I guess).
Sigh . . . now I'm leery of just wiring them direct (in place of the original equipment bulbs)

So, I ordered a relay (and more fuses!) and have been figuring out how get some more juice somewhere else to run these lights.
BUT . . .

I wonder:
Do I actually NEED the relay and higher-amp feed?
AND . . . what's the best place to get the higher-amp feeder circuit?

T H A N K S !

Oh, poop! I forgot to order an inline fuse holder for that add-on circuit so I don't just kill soemthing important if it gets shorted soemhow 'rother.

 

Your exterior lights are covered on page 112

http://jagrepair.com/images/AutoRepa.../jagxj1996.pdf

Aside from your modifications there was a fuse uprating in a Jaguar TSB

http://jagrepair.com/images/TSB/X300...s_Circuits.pdf

Trunk fuse # 3 goes from 15 amp to 20 amp

You have a spare relay in the trunk you can rewire and dedicate to a modification called the accessory relay on page 232

http://www.jagrepair.com/images/Auto...1996%20LWB.pdf see page 19

You can use the bulb to control the relay ( without cutting your wires ) and then later cutting and utilize the wiring to the bulb but may not put a bulb back in the socket ( maybe too much current )

 

Parker -
THANK YOU for the info!

Question:
Is that 'spare relay' in the trunk just sittin' there, ready to be used?
If so, where do I get the power that'll be switched BY that relay? Any unused fuse connection in the trunk? (the two lights will be about 27watts = ~2A)
Thanks!

 

the relay socket should be already wired but you must change the control wires to the relay to close the relay for your lights

the power through the relay for your 2 amps should be handled well by fuse X

 

Fuse is # 12 / 5 amp trunk fuse box for the control which you would need to provide a control ground to close the relay ( this would be the Black colored wire )

Presently the black wire is wired to ground and you would interupt this to control the relay for your lights

and Fuse # 13 / 10 amp for the power that passes through

This is on page 168 of the 96 wiring guide

 

Parker -
Thanks AGAIN!
I truly appreciate it!